All the Lovely Bad Ones

Written by Mary Downing Hahn, All the Lovely Bad Ones is an exciting and sometimes spooky chapter book that tells the story of a brother and sister, Travis and Corey, who are staying at their grandmother's house in Vermont for the summer. But their grandmother's house isn't just any old house, it's a creepy old inn with a history of ghost sightings. There are even books written by ghost hunters about the sightings at the inn, and the two siblings can't wait to investigate the accusations themselves. Travis and Corey are notorious pranksters and can't resist playing good jokes on people, but when they decide to stage a fake ghost sighting of their own, they mistakenly awake the real ghosts that are trapped at the inn. Some of the spirits are playful and mischievous, but others are vengeful and restless. As the Travis and Corey try to understand the messages the spirits are sending them, they begin to uncover the horrifying truths about the inn's grave past.

I first read this book while I was doing a practicum observation in a 5th grade classroom. The students were reading it and I read it too so I could help with assignments. I could not put this book down. It had the intense mystery of any adult fiction novel, but suited for younger readers. I absolutely loved finding out about the horrors that took place almost a century ago at the inn, and I couldn't wait to keep reading to see what happened to the ghosts and how vengeful they would become. I thought this book was actually a little spooky for young readers as it shed light on some unsettling stories and scary characters, but overall the students really enjoyed reading it. I think this would be a great story to use in a Guided Reading activity. Students would be put in groups of 4-5, and each day one group would meet with the teacher at a time to read the story together and discuss guided reading questions relating to the story. By reading this story in guided reading groups, students have more one-on-one time with the teacher to have focused discussions and ask questions related to the plot and character development. The teacher also has a better chance to observe how each student is reading, paying attention, and making inferences and connections.

Hahn, M. (2008). All the lovely bad ones. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing.